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Meet Ducky, Water Jet Supervisor at BenCo

Ducky was made for the water. Literally. Ducky oversees all things water jet at our Reading, PA metal cutting and fabrication facility. He’s in charge of managing our water jet team and in charge of keeping the machines moving to get precision parts cut for some of our company’s largest and most complex customer orders.

Keep reading to learn more about how Ducky and his sincere passion for precision water jet cutting.

Ducky, How Did You End Up with the Name ‘Ducky’?

When I started my first job out of high school, I was one of three Mikes. On day one, my boss went around and gave us each a nickname so he’d know who was who. He looked at me, pointed, and said, “You’re Ducky.” I’m not sure why, but the name stuck. Today most people don’t even know my real name. I’ve worn the name with pride ever since.

How Long Have You Been Operating a Water Jet?

I began my career casting and forming fiberglass for an aerospace manufacturer. After a while, I needed a new challenge and became interested in precision water jet cutting. What attracted me to the water jet was the incredible amount of power and pressure it could generate while at the same time making extremely precise cuts. I ran my first water jet nine years ago; the last two years at BenCo.

What’s a Typical Day at BenCo Like for You?

My day is a mix of making sure my team has what they need to do quality work for each of the projects we have running each day. We’re always juggling multiple water jet projects at once so I’m here to help prioritize work and make sure we’re producing high-quality parts.

I spend most of my time out on the floor listening to my machines. Believe it or not, I can tell a lot about a machine just by its sound – if it’s cutting properly or if it needs maintenance or any other number of things. I do a lot of preventive maintenance and trouble-shooting this way. My priority is to keep my machines operating at a high level of functionality.

What Do You Like Most About Supervising the Water Jet at BenCo?

The parts we cut are one small piece of some amazing products that our customers are developing and building. One of the biggest projects I’m responsible for is a part we cut for a medical device that’s helping doctors save lives all around the world. I take a lot of pride in that.

I also like the projects where we’re problem-solving with our customers. We’re creating fixtures to cut new shapes or helping find a way to cut any number of materials for new projects. We’re helping our customers through the process – much more than just cutting the parts they need.

Whatever the project, I follow the advice my grandfather gave me. He was a well driller and I grew up listening to him say, ‘If you take care of your machinery like a family member, it’ll take care of you forever.’

So, no matter what project I’m working on at BenCo, I most enjoy taking care of my team and my machinery first.

To learn more about our water jet capabilities and how BenCo can help you with your next water jet cutting project, or any metal fabrication work, contact us today.